Maryland Declines Intralot's Bid for Lottery Contract; Intralot Ponders Legal Actions
In a surprising turn of events, Intralot, Inc., the preferred bidder for Maryland's Central Lottery Monitoring and Control System, has found itself in a legal quandary. The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission, which initially selected Intralot over Brightstar and Scientific Games in July 2025, has now reversed its decision, citing Intralot’s alleged failure to meet the minimum required Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) participation percentage [1][2][4].
The rejection comes as a surprise to Intralot, which had allocated a significantly higher percentage of the project to local subcontractors than the minimum required. The company had maintained full transparency about the identity and the role of these subcontractors, with the commission initially aware of the subcontractors’ identity and roles [2][3][4].
Intralot, in a statement, reiterated that it firmly believes that its proposition would generate the most value for Maryland. The company is now weighing its legal options in response to the bid rejection, considering pursuing legal remedies to challenge the decision [2][3].
It is important to note that Intralot's bid met all technical and price requirements, including the MBE participation target of 28%. An earlier statement by the commission had stated that all participants complied with the requirements of the relevant RFP [3].
The bid submitted by Intralot, Inc. is technically sound and by far the most financially advantageous, significantly outperforming the second-best offer. In fact, the commission had previously stated that Intralot's proposal was "the most advantageous to the state" [4].
The rejection of Intralot's bid could potentially result in a substantial financial loss for the state of Maryland. The commission had initially recommended that Intralot be awarded the new ten-year contract, which was set to commence in May 2027 [1].
This rejection appears rooted in a reassessment of MBE compliance rather than technical or pricing deficiencies. The commission changed its decision on August 4, 2025, and rejected Intralot's bid for the Central Lottery Monitoring and Control System [1].
[1] - Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission Press Release, August 4, 2025
[2] - Intralot Press Release, August 5, 2025
[3] - Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission Statement, July 2025
[4] - Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission Statement, July 2025
Intralot, Inc., having allocated a substantial portion of the project to local subcontractors and maintaining transparent subcontractor records, is now considering pursuing legal remedies to challenge the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission's bid rejection, as their financially advantageous proposal for the Central Lottery Monitoring and Control System met all technical and price requirements, including the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) participation target.
